IKEA UK and Ireland to remove all single-use plastic straws by 1st October 2018

IKEA UK and Ireland have announced the removal of all single-use plastic straws from its product range and restaurants by 1st October 2018, as part of its vision to have a positive impact on people and the planet. IKEA will also be looking at possible replacements for use by people with diabilities.

The commitment applies to all UK and Ireland stores, including the recently opened IKEA Exeter store, all future IKEA outlets and IKEA online. The announcement is the first of many steps IKEA is taking towards its global commitment to remove all single-use plastic products by 2020.

IKEA’s sustainability commitments do not begin and end with the removal of all single-use plastic straws and today’s decision follows IKEA’s updated People and Planet Positive strategy, which sets the sustainability agenda and ambitions for the IKEA franchise system and value chain globally by 2030.

Hege Sæbjørnsen, Country Sustainability Manager, IKEA UK and Ireland, said: “The world is changing at a rapid rate and bold, urgent actions are required to meet the sustainability challenges we are facing. Plastic pollution is one critical issue to urgently address for a more sustainable future and is something our customers and co-workers are actively passionate about. By responding and acting quickly to remove single-use plastic straws, we hope to fuel the energy behind this movement and empower people to see the hundreds of other small actions we can all take in our daily lives to have a positive impact on the precious world around us.”

Through its Live LAGOM programme, IKEA is already supporting customers and co-workers with products, workshops, skills and advice to save energy and water, reduce waste, grow your own food and promote a healthy lifestyle.

To reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic, IKEA already offers products that are made from more sustainable materials and supports a journey towards zero waste lifestyles. These include ISTAD re-sealable plastic bags made from bioplastic, KORKEN jars made from recycled glass, KUNGSBACKA kitchen fronts made from recycled PET bottles and wood, as well as TOMAT spray bottles and SKRUTT desk pads, which are made from recycled plastic packaging. In addition, 98% of the packaging used for IKEA products is made from renewable, recyclable or recycled materials.

Hege concluded: “Taking action on single-use plastic straws is an important symbol for broader change and is one simple step towards enabling and inspiring people to live within the means of the planet. However, we recognise that the problem of plastic waste pollution is complex, with no single solution. We believe it is a shared responsibility and we are determined to play our part through our own ambitions in partnership with our customers, alongside those of the public, the wider business community and political stakeholders.”

As part of its People and Planet Positive strategy commitments for 2030, IKEA also aims to:

Inspire and enable more than 1 billion people to live a better everyday life within the means of the planet

Design all IKEA products to be 100% circular, generating as little waste as possible

Make all IKEA products and packaging from renewable and recycled materials

Offer services that make it easier for people to bring home, care for and pass on products

Become climate positive and reduce the total IKEA climate footprint by an average of 70% per product

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